Michael Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut, has died at 90

CBS News ^ | April 28, 2021 | Alex Sundby

[rdl6989]

Astronaut Michael Collins, one of the three members of the successful Apollo 11 mission to the moon in 1969, died Wednesday after battling cancer, his family said in a statement posted to Twitter. He was 90.

[dfwgator]

Whoa, that’s heavy.

[lasereye]

I thought of that Jethro Tull song too.

[Preachin']

I was only four years old in 1969, so I didn’t get to experience all this great stuff. I looked up Collins’ family, and saw that he an at least three others were general officers in the US Armed Forces. That’s pretty cool. I know a lot of that is political (who you know), but that’s still incredible to me.

[Honorary Serb]

Memory Eternal!!!!

[dfwgator]

And to think this happened in the middle of a pandemic.

[Salamander]

:)

[dadfly]

once more, beyond the beyond. God’s speed Mike.

[Salamander]

I’m with you L.E.M
Though it’s a shame that it had to be you
The mother ship
Is just a blip from your trip made for two
I’m with you boys
So please employ just a little extra care
It’s on my mind
I’m left behind when I should have been there
Walking with you

[Rummyfan]

RIP Michael Collins. If you are looking for a good read about the astronaut program in general and Apollo in particular I highly recommend his book Carrying the Fire. This leaves only Buzz as a living Apollo crew member.

[outofsalt]

Collins did the first space docking during Gemini X

[Sans-Culotte]

Apollo 11 was peak America. We’re a far different (worse) country than we were 52 years ago.

The Apollo program was remarkably successful. It is amazing to see what they accomplished in a few years.

October 1968: Apollo 7 - First Apollo flight to orbit the earth with three astronauts

December 1968: Apollo 8 - First use of the Saturn V and first manned flight to orbit the moon

March 1969: Apollo 9 - First test deployment of lunar excursion craft while orbiting earth

May 1969: Apollo 10 - Test deployment of lunar excursion craft while orbiting the moon

Apollo 11: July 1969 - landed on moon and returned safely to earth

That's getting it done. After seeing all those test missions go like clockwork, excitement was at a fever pitch wen Apollo 11 took off. I was glued to the television that summer! No way we could accomplish such a feat in Biden's America.

[rey]

And on National Super Hero Day.

[skepsel]

My favorite Apollo 11 story is that Collins told Armstrong that if he had a pair, when he stepped onto the Moon he should scream “What the hell is that?!” and cut his microphone, lol.

[jonsie]

RIP Mr.Collins, l use to watch his daughter, Kate on All My Children in the hey day.

[Az Joe]

RIP hero

Buzz Aldrin survives (91)

[Bigg Red]

RIP

[rdl6989]

Rotfl! I’ve never heard that story.

[Renfrew]

RIP. Not many of the Apollo astronauts left.

I hope some of them will still be here to see us return to the moon.

[NoLibZone]

Buzz is the last.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

May God bless Commander Collins and the entire Apollo 11 crew. I will never forget their mission, and how it changed the world.